Arkansas – Sarah Huckabee Sanders criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal,” questioning why the mayor had not similarly called for the arrest of the Hamas leaders responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks.
“Trying to find where Mamdani called for the arrest of the Hamas terrorists who plotted the October 7th attacks,” Sanders wrote on X. “Disgusting and disgraceful.”
Sanders’ remarks came after Mamdani posted on social media that “Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal” and released a video defending his position amid growing controversy over comments regarding the Israeli leader’s expected visit to New York later this year.
In the video, Mamdani said he believes Netanyahu should face justice under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2024. He described the Israeli prime minister as “a war criminal” and “the architect of a horrific genocide,” while urging the U.S. federal government to enforce the ICC warrant if Netanyahu travels to the United States. Mamdani also acknowledged that New York City itself does not have the legal authority to arrest a foreign head of government, despite earlier comments that sparked widespread political debate, The Guardian reported.
The controversy follows months of scrutiny surrounding Mamdani’s outspoken views on the Israel-Hamas war. During his mayoral campaign and after taking office, he repeatedly argued that Netanyahu should be arrested if he entered New York because of the ICC warrant issued over alleged war crimes related to the war in Gaza. Israel has rejected the allegations, and neither Israel nor the United States recognizes the ICC’s jurisdiction over the matter.
Sanders’ criticism focused on what she described as a double standard. Without naming the ICC warrant, the Arkansas governor questioned why Mamdani had not publicly called for the arrest of Hamas leaders responsible for planning and carrying out the Oct. 7 attacks, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in hundreds being taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. The attack triggered Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has drawn widespread international attention and criticism over its humanitarian consequences.
Mamdani has previously condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attack as a “horrific war crime” while also remaining sharply critical of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. His comments on both issues have made him a polarizing political figure, particularly among supporters and critics of Israel.
His latest remarks about Netanyahu generated immediate backlash from several Jewish organizations and elected officials. The UJA-Federation of New York criticized the mayor’s position, while other Democratic leaders questioned both the legal basis and political wisdom of calling for Netanyahu’s arrest. Supporters of Mamdani, however, argued that he was simply urging the United States to uphold what they view as international legal obligations under the ICC warrant, ABC7 New York reported.
Legal experts have noted that a New York City mayor does not possess the authority to arrest a visiting foreign leader based on an ICC warrant. Reuters reported that U.S. law does not recognize the court’s authority in this context, and the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC. As a result, any enforcement action would require decisions at the federal level rather than by city officials.
The exchange between Sanders and Mamdani reflects the broader political divide in the United States over the Israel-Hamas conflict, with Republican leaders frequently emphasizing Hamas’ responsibility for the Oct. 7 attacks while many progressive Democrats have increasingly focused on criticism of Israel’s military campaign and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Although Sanders and Mamdani represent different states and hold different offices, their public exchange quickly gained attention online, adding another chapter to the national debate over the war, international law, and the role elected officials should play in commenting on foreign policy.